Not the Desperate Type
by KitsuneSam
Summary: A figure from Roy's past returns from a five year mission. Ed wants to know what makes her so special. EdxRoy HavocxOC Original Character. Not a MarySue, I promise. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

**Title:**

**Author: KitsuneSam**

**Summary: A figure from Roy's past returns from a five year mission. Can she help bridge some gaps in the Amestrian military? EdxRoy HavocxOC Original Character**

_Disclaimer: So… I don't own FMA._

Prologue

"Oh Roy," she grinned. "I—I'm going to miss you."

The black haired man rolled his eyes in an over exaggerated manner. "It's not like you're going to be gone forever." He put a hand on her head. "Sis, it's just a mission. You'll be back."

"But Brother," she whined. Adrian looked like a shorter female version for Roy Mustang. The looked the same in all other aspects—even their hair length was the same since Adrian had to cut it for military purposes. "It's going to be a _long_ mission."

He smiled, watching as she tugged nervously at the ends of her fingerless gloves. He knew what would cheer her up. His sister had been itching to meet the members of his team for quite some time. "Leave now, you'll be back before you know it. Maybe I'll introduce you around headquarters."

Adrian caught his drift. She brightened visibly, and grinned. "Alright."

"That's more like it," he said in a jovial voice, one that the woman knew was concealing his nerves. They were in a war—it would be a fool's action to not worry about loved ones brought into action.

"I'll see you when I get back." Her smile softened, and he reflected the action. They shook hands, a military tradition, and within a second, Roy had pulled her into a hug.

"Goodbye Adrian."

X—X—X

Edward Elric had never been one to follow military protocol. As matter of fact, he really didn't want to know anything about to what his duties were at an important ceremony like this. Yet he was still at the event, standing next to his brother. They'd restored the younger Elric's body, but Ed still had metal appendages. It wasn't that he didn't want a fully human body, but those limbs meant so much. He couldn't lose them without losing his mind.

Al's human body—to Ed's agitation—was almost a head and a half taller than him. Obviously he'd gotten some genes from Hohenheim, unlike smaller Ed. His age was correct, both physically and mentally, something Ed was grateful for. And something even better about the whole thing? The two had managed to perform the action without taking lives. After some deep research on human transmutation, the transfer had been easy. It was still considered as a highly confidential military action, and not many knew the details of the action.

"There he is," Al pointed excitedly. Both of the Elric brothers wore military uniforms—although Ed's was a bit big despite being one of the smallest sizes the male uniform came in.

"Al," Edward hissed. "I can see him. You don't need to point." Ed knew what his brother was trying to do. If he couldn't make him happy by fixing his body, then he would try something else. Like set him up in a romantic relation. Al was a sap.

But it was the fact that Alphonse was trying to set him up with a man he'd never had, and never would have feelings for. Al was convinced that Ed had a crush on Roy Mustang. He couldn't figure out why Al had picked the colonel, nor where'd he'd come under the conclusion that Ed liked men.

'_I like girls,_' he thought angrily. To reinforce the thought, he glanced over at the nearest woman officer. His mouth twitched a bit.

Looking back up at Roy, he blinked in surprise. Was that a woman on his arm? He felt angry as she laughed. How was it that the Flame Alchemist always got the girls, but the Fullmetal Alchemist couldn't seem to attract one?

He fumed when they walked passed, the woman's head bowed and Roy's raised in laughter.

X—X—X

Roy pulled his sister close. In the hall, their reunion had been laughter. But as the siblings made a quick exit, the younger found herself crying with a smile.

"I told you it was going to be a long mission!"

He chuckled softly. "You know, I didn't expect it to last more than a year."

She blinked. "You what? I spent five years in the middle of Ishbal, finding information. _Information_. You know how slow of a process that can be. And you didn't think it was going to take a long time?"

"Well—"

"You're a silly big Brother. But you better keep your promise."

He smirked. "Which one?"

"The one where you introduce me to your military _friends_." She put a strong emphasis on the word 'friends' and elbowed him in the side slightly."

"Your hair has gotten longer," he noted, clearly avoiding the subject to annoy her. And surely it had, it now went down to her lower back.

"Roy!"

She never used his regular name. It was always 'Brother'. Now he knew that she was definitely annoyed. That was enough for him. "Stop. Go be with your team now. I'll bring you around tomorrow."

"Alright," she winked and turned on her heel (in those shoes—he didn't understand how) back to the hall. Roy Mustang decided to get some fresh air, and a walk. That girl was starting to meddle already.

**That's the first bit! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Uh, still not mine._

Chapter 1

"Hughes," Roy called. "I know you're here—Ah!" He found himself standing directly in front of the picture taking officer.

"You called."

"Yes. Hughes, you remember my sister?"

The man grinned, leaning forward. "Of course! She just got back Ishbal, right?"

Mustang nodded. "Look, Maes, I'm bringing her around the office today… Just—"

"Make her feel welcome."

"Yeah."

X—X—X

Ed was fuming. Mustang, that bastard, got another girl, and now the next day, he was going to bother him in the middle of research. He clenched his teeth, and picked up his papers, tapping them on the desk to straighten them.

"Roy Mustang. If you're even thinking of bothering me right now, I'm going to hurt you."

"Roy?" A feminine voice sounded surprised. The woman started to laugh, and Ed whipped his head aground. It was Mustang… well not exactly. "Last time I checked, my name was Adrian."

"B—but," he blinked.

She took in his coat, and gloves. "Hey! You're one of the Elric boys I was told about, aren't you? Alphonse, the younger brother!"

That blew it.

"Who are you calling so small that they obviously can't be any older than seventeen?"

"Huh?"

He grated his teeth together, and forced out a reply. "I'm _Edward_ Elric."

"Oh?" She looked genuinely surprised. "You're the older brother."

"Yes." He'd been surprised out of his anger at her face, but he was just going back into that endless pit of anger.

"I'm sorry Edward. Forgive me?"

"No, I don't think I will." He was steaming.

"But why not?" This Adrian Mustang was nosy.

"Because you look like _him_."

She seemed to understand that bit. "Like Roy Mustang?" She grinned goofily. Clearly, she was different from him. "He's my big brother."

Ed halted all movements.

He then dropped his papers, standing up. Ed's chair scraped loudly as he pushed it backwards. "I'm leaving. Now."

Adrian followed him out. He was vaguely reminded up a duckling he once saw, who chose to follow another bird rather than its family, who was going in the other direction.

Edward stopped short as he happened to catch the man he wanted to see in Hughes' office. He pushed the door open, taking no time to knock. It banged loudly against the opposite wall.

"Roy Must—"

The woman, who had been standing behind him, suddenly squealed. "Maes!"

Ed found himself being trampled over as she tried to get to the man. He turned his head, finding Scieska staring in terror at the frantic woman."

There was a slight cough nearby. "Forgive my sister. She's been away from home for five years."

He looked in the direction of the voice, and found Mustang crouched with a hand out to help him. The youngest state alchemist frowned. Was Roy offering him a hand? He couldn't take that. Edward pushed himself to his feet with a scowl.

"Nice to see you Ed."

He waved over at Scieska, who was already back to her work copying something or other. The blonde turned his gaze to the woman who'd followed him here. Her arms were wrapped tightly around Hughes' waist. The man was blushing and trying to push her off.

"Adrian! I'm a married man now!" She stopped, and pulled back to watch as he pulled the photographs out of his pocket. "Want to see a picture… or two, of my adorable daughter?" His wallet looked ready to explode. Adrian nodded excitedly. Roy motioned for Ed to follow him out of the office, and he silently did so.

The Flame Alchemist shut the door then turned to Ed, clearly waiting for the questions to start.

"So… who is she, exactly?"

"Edward, you've just met Adrian Mustang. Also known as the Night Alchemist."

He nodded. "And she's your younger sister? You're a big brother too?"

A ghost of a smile flickered on his face. "Yeah. Just like you."

Ed stared at the older man for a moment, then asked his next question. "She's got a bit of a haunted look. Where's she been?"

His superior sighed. "Adrian has spent the last five years on a covert operation for the military in Ishbal."

"And she knows Hughes."

He was my friend as soon as I met him. She's seen him around, of course."

Ed made a smug face. "She wants you to show her around, doesn't she?"

"How'd you know?"

He grinned. "A lucky guess, perhaps."

"She's very excitable. This should be interesting. Basically I'm only introducing her to my group."

"Hawkeye, Havoc, Fuery and the others…?"

Mustang nodded. "She'll meet anyone else she needs to know by herself."

The blonde alchemist felt suddenly calm. Looks like he and the colonel bastard had something in common other than alchemy. He watched as Roy turned to look back into the office. He chuckled at the sight. "She's the only person excited by his photos. He's going to get a fat head."

"Was she in love with him?" Ed blushed. The question had flown out of his mouth before he could stop it.

Mustang tilted his head back and laughed. "No. Gods, no."

Ed blinked.

"Long story. Some other time, perhaps."

Ed gave him a genuine smile. "I may just take you up on that offer." Was he flirting? With the Colonel?

Roy reflected the action. "Sounds great Fullmetal." And was Mustang flirting _back_?

But their moment was quickly haled as the door they'd just slipped out of opened. Hughes and Adrian walked out, both wearing looks that seemed entirely too smug. They shared a wink when the alchemist in front of them blinked in confusion.

"I'm so sorry for the mix-up Ed. Can I call you that?" He nodded, and watched as she stretched an arm out for him to shake. "I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Adrian Mustang. The younger sister of Brigadier General Roy Mustang." She paused, and gave him and over exaggerated wink. "An' I'm also better known 'round here as the Night Alchemist."

Ed nodded and looked down as they released each other's hands. A pair of black gloves without fingers. The thing that caught his attention though, was the empty circle that usually held a pre-made alchemy symbol for easy transmutations. "Why are you called the Night Alchemist?"

She laughed. A rather musical action, not much like her brother, as far as Ed could tell. "You're curious, aren't you Ed? Though I'm not going to tell you. Either try and figure it out yourself, or wait around a bit. I'm sure I'll be forced to show off my skills soon enough. I haven't had a yearly examination in three years."

"My sister's favorite type of examination is the alchemy battle," Roy supplied at Ed's look.

"Yap," she agreed. "So careful. You don't know who I'll choose to fight." The black haired woman tilted her head back and laughed. He was finally able to get a look at her. Adrian—like himself—did not wear the required uniform. She wore men's breeches tucked into a pair of combat boots that reached her knees. Her shirt was white, the sleeves stopping somewhere between her elbows and her wrists—the cuffs were rolled slightly. The design also looked like a man's shirt, though the brown vest she wore was definitely made for a woman. Her eyes were nearly the same as Mustang's—though a softer shade, and a quality that seemed saddened by what she'd seen.

"… show you around now?" The colonel bastard had been talking. Oops.

"I'll only come, if Edward comes with us."

"Er," Ed really didn't want to. "My books and papers are in the library."

Mustang looked particularly dangerous at that moment. "Then no one will touch your work. It will be left alone."

"Of course," he replied nervously. This was one battle he would not win.

"Yay," Adrian cried, throwing her hands up. "Let's go!"

**Wooh. That was longer than I expected. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue. Me no own, you no sue._

Chapter 2

The Flame Alchemist twisted the door open.

A chorus of "Good Afternoon" and one "Yo" was his greeting. Ed slipped in, grinning at Fuery who gave him a wave. Next came Adrian, then the Brigadier General himself, who shut the door behind him.

"Everyone, this is Adrian."

She waved. Roy moved along to each, introducing them by their name.

"There's Falman," a sharp salute. "Breda." He chuckled, and grinned. "Fuery." A bright smile. "Hawkeye," the woman nodded, eyes softening briefly. "And the last… Havoc."

Havoc, the only one who'd greeted in an unceremonious 'yo', finally looked up from his paperwork. He blinked at Adrian. "Who's this, Boss? Your sister, or something?" He put the paper down.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact."

"Hah!" Havoc jumped up from his chair. Ed smiled in amusement, realizing why. Adrian, as Roy's sister, was one of the few women he could get a chance with without the threat of Mustang "stealing".

"Calm down. Adrian, take a seat. You too, Ed. I need to get some paperwork done—" Ed nearly choked. "—and Alphonse said he'd stop by with some research."

The younger Mustang grinned. "Oh? The _real_ Alphonse Elric." She gently nudged Ed with her elbow. He turned red in a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

"Yeah, Al's my younger—"

"And taller!"

"—brother." Ed glared heavily at Breda, who simply shrugged the look off.

"Sorry Little Boss."

Ed grumbled.

"All in good fun," Adrian chimed. She leaned back on her chair, and seemed to be watching someone out of the corner of her eye. He followed the gaze to find Havoc doing exactly the same thing. He sniggered a bit before slumping into his chair. He'd rather be elsewhere.

Ten minutes passed by. Adrian started a game of tic-tac-toe with him. He was winning overall. Seventeen wins for him, ten for her, and three ties. Tic-tac-toe didn't take that long to play.

Finally, the door opened, and he grinned as his brother walked in. Ed turned to say something to the Alchemist beside him, but she was already gone.

"You're so cute!" For the umpteenth time, he felt the need to heave a sigh of exasperation. Al was squirming in Adrian's tight hug, and was blushing furiously.

"Brother, what?"

She suddenly released Al, and looked him over. "Wow. You really _are_ taller than him."

Ed twitched violently. A few officers hid their smiles behind their hands.

"Brother," she called brightly. "Alphonse Elric, right? Though not officially a state alchemist, he's known as the Soul Alchemist."

Al looked startled as Mustang nodded. "How'd you know that? Brother, what's going on?"

"Alphonse," Roy started. "The woman pulling on your cheek no doubt read your files. Sneaky little…"

Adrian grinned, sheepishly. "Guilty."

"Al, meet Mustang's sister."

The younger Elric froze. "You had a sister?"

"Still do," Roy said off-handedly.

"Oh." The Night Alchemist had returned to her seat next to Ed, allowing Al to continue with the reason he'd actually come around for.

"General, I have the information." He lay down a manila envelope on the desk. Al like research, and it wasn't unusual for Roy to ask him to look something up for him every now and again.

Ed finally thought of something, and looked at Roy. "Oi, Colonel-Bastard. Didn't someone say that our alchemy battle was the first?"

Roy hesitated, then admitted the answer. "Fullmetal, our 'alchemy battle royale' was the first public battle, and the first on the record. Otherwise it's simply pass or fail and continue with your career."

"In other words," Ed read between the lines. "It's all off the books."

Mustang nodded. "There's that too."

"I think I know who I want to battle this year, too," Adrian mused, eyeing Al as Mustang took his files.

"If you think," the short alchemist growled. "That I'm going to let you battle with my brother, you're wrong."

She turned her attention to Ed, a look of calm coming over her face. "It's not up to you to decide. That's for the Fuhrer and the challenger alone. No outside interference."

"She's right Brother," Al quipped softly.

"I'll be…" He twitched. "Around." Ed stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Havoc burst into laughter, and Al heaved a sigh of exasperation. Roy smirked, and Adrian watched in interest. "Oh dear, I think I made him angry."

Al took Ed's vacant seat, taking a few of Fuery's papers to help with. "I wonder what he's thinking now."

"You know," Roy commented. "Ed may have gotten it into his head to challenge you. Maybe he's going to try and look through the records for your specialty."

She made a smirk that reminded Al of her older brother's. "Perfect. Let him try." She looked at Al, and her smile softened. "I couldn't challenge _you_, anyhow. You're not a state alchemist. I wonder if he's realized that."

X—X—X

Ed collected his papers, angry over that—that woman's words. No doubt she was a good alchemist. But if he planned on fighting her, he'd need to know how she fought. An alchemy battle with Roy had not given either of them an advantage. They both knew the other's tactics.

On the flip side, Ed knew that Adrian didn't actually know how he fought either. But she'd read his file—surely she'd read his if she'd read Al's. And besides, he was bordering world famous—most people had heard of his tricks.

He knew the book that listed every current state alchemist and what they'd been named for. Ed pulled the book off the shelf, and flipped through the pages. He came across Mustang, and grinned as he looked automatically at Roy's first.

Mustang, Roy (The Flame Alchemist)- Uses pyrotex gloves to create sparks. Alchemy extends the flame.

He glanced up one name.

Mustang, Adrian (The Night Alchemist)- Classified.

Ed blinked. Nothing. '_What the hell?_'

X—X—X

Adrian was a bit taller than Hawkeye. Havoc didn't mind. He didn't believe in love at first sight—oh hell, he wasn't sure he really believed in love. But a girl that Mustang couldn't take away? Well, he was in love with that.

She seemed sweet, and cheerful enough when they'd met. Of course, every chick had a serious streak—and when hers came out she'd looked quite like the Brigadier General. Could he live with that?

Yeah. If it worked out, he could live with that.

**OMG. Fluff next chapter. Yay!**


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. I do own an Ed figurine. And it is good._

Chapter 3

Roy was staring out the window. His entire team, even Hawkeye, had left. All there was to do now was work. And he hated doing his work. Even if it was only signing papers. A lot of them.

He smiled. His sister was home, and he—well, he was doing alright. So was a certain shrimp and _his_ sibling. Roy's first intention for the two boys had been to watch them, and worry over them. He'd gotten both Elrics into the mess, and he intended to get them out. But as Ed had gotten older, he no longer wanted to be their keeper, guardian, or general authority figure. Quite the contrary. Roy had to admit to himself that he wanted Ed for his own. But unless Fullmetal made an initiating movement, he'd be satisfied with Ed's happiness.

A click. The opening of his door intruded his thoughts.

"Brigadier General?"

"Come on in, Edward." Roy spun around in his chair so that he could look at the blonde. They'd come to a bit of an agreement. First names in private. It kept them calm enough by themselves, but it was awkward when others were around

He watched Ed plop himself onto the couch and prop his head on the armrest so that he could watch Mustang. "Roy, I have a few questions."

The Flame Alchemist opted for a smirk. "I thought you might. Go on."

Ed nodded. "Roy, your sister… Why is she called the Night Alchemist?"

"She's tricky. Uses a lot of scare tactics in battle."

"That's it?"

"Not entirely." Roy propped his hands on the desk. "I just can't tell you the rest."

"But why not?" Ed's voice turned frantic, and he sat up. "Roy, I need to know!"

"Why? Because you plan on fighting her?"

"I—" he hesitated.

"So you were," the older alchemist accused. "And why should I tell you how to defeat my _sister_?"

"Because," Edward explained desperately. "She doesn't take me seriously."

Mustang sighed. "Edward Elric, my sister does take you seriously."

"No she doesn't! Didn't you hear the way she spoke to me?"

"Adrian spoke to you in a civil manner after you lost your temper."

"She was treating me like a _kid_!"

"Did it occur to you," Roy began softly. "That she treated you like a child, because you _acted_ like one?"

Ed fell silent, gold eyes staring in shock at his superior. "What makes you say that?"

"You got angry over a situation you cannot control." Mustang did not speak again until Ed made eye contact once more. "Look, Edward, I know you want to protect Al. Because he looks up to you, and you want to do everything in your power to protect him from the world. But you _can't_. He's seventeen now. And you can't always protect him… You know this, yet it still hurts."

Ed blinked. "How… How did you know that?" Roy had just put his feelings of the last few months into words.

The black haired man swallowed, looking at the alchemy circle on the back of his gloves. "Because that's exactly how I started feeling when Adrian became a state alchemist."

The Fullmetal Alchemist looked closely at Roy for any signs of a lie. But what would possess someone to lie about something like that? "Then I guess," he finally suggested. "That you and I are more alike than I've realized."

"You know Ed," Mustang said off-handedly, signing one of the papers in front of him. "You should really learn to keep that temper in control. It doesn't suit your small stature."

Ed knew a challenge when he heard one. "I'll keep that in mind."

Roy's eyes narrowed, though they crinkled at the edges, revealing his true opinion. "Good. Now, you wanted to know about Adrian's alchemy?"

The blonde boy groaned. "I tried looking her up in the state alchemy records. All that was listed was her name and code name."

"There's a reason she was on a high profile covert mission in Ishbal. Now I wonder why they would send only one alchemist on a five-man team."

He blinked at Roy. And an idea hit him. Ed jumped off the couch, running behind the desk to give his commanding officer a hug.

Roy blushed furiously under Edward's tight grip. "I can't breathe," he choked. Under other circumstances he may have enjoyed the embrace. Yet he couldn't help but wonder if Ed was trying to choke him.

"Sorry," Ed uttered in a placated tone. He backed up, then headed over to the door with a wave over his shoulders. "Thanks Roy." He didn't look back. Couldn't let the colonel-bastard see his blush.

Mustang waited to hear the door click closed again. Had Edward _really_ understood his clue? Or had the prodigy simply made assumptions?

X—X—X

Ed looked up from his book, and his lunch to realize Hughes was jabbering away to him about Elysia's latest antics.

"… and so I said, 'Elysia, darling. What do you want to eat?' And do you know what she told me?" He didn't even bother to wait for the reply. It would never come. "She said 'Daddy, I want to go to the dinner-store'! Isn't that just _adorable_?"

Ed stared at the gushing father.

"She meant a restaurant Ed. God, don't give me that look."

"He took another forkful of potatoes into his mouth, turning back to 'Strange Alchemy'. He vaguely noticed a tray being put next to Hughes', and a flicker of a glance upwards told him it was Adrian. This time she wore the military uniform (pants—no skirt), but she was lacking one thing. Her odd gloves.

"Hey Maes," she said brightly before taking a forkful of food. "Look, Fullmetal, I'm sorry about what I said. It was kind of harsh."

Ed carefully marked his page, and put the book on the table. One hand clutched at it as though she would steal it if he let go. "No… It was my fault. I lashed out at you, I shouldn't have done that."

Hughes almost spit out the coffee he'd just taken a sip of. "Did you just _apologize_ to her?"

The woman blinked. "Is it an uncommon occurance?"

"Pshyeah."

The smallest alchemist glowered. "She up, Major."

Dad-of-the-century put his hands up in defeat. "Alright Ed. But you _know_ I'm not a major anymore."

"Whatever."

Adrian took that moment to cut in. "What'cha readin'?"

"Eh," Ed murmured, distracted from his banter. "Oh. It's Strange Alchemy. I'm going to figure out your secret."

"It's not in there."

"I know I—_what_?" Edward blinked.

Roy's younger sister grinned. "You won't find my alchemy talent in there, Ed. Actually, it's not really that hard. If you really want to know, you should stick to the basics."

"We'll see," he said, quirking one eyebrow.

She took another forkful of food. "I do wish you luck, though. And that reminds me. I was recently contacted about my alchemy inspection." She seemed to have gained the full attention of both Hughes and Edward. "I asked if they'd given the Fullmetal Alchemist his yet. When I was given a negative, I requested you as an opponent for the battle. Just as I had originally planned. You, not your brother." She grinned at him. "I suspect you'll be speak to someone about the matter soon."

Edward leaned forward. "Is that an official challenge?"

"Why yes," she replied indifferently. "Yes, I do believe that it is." The younger Mustang's brown eyes met Ed's golden ones. "Are you up for it?" She grinned even wider.

'_Freaking Cheshire cat_,' he noted, but grinned back all the same. "Adrian Mustang, you've got yourself some competition.

"Good. I want to have a _good_ fight some time soon."

X—X—X

Hawkeye stood behind Mustang. "Sir, only a few more papers. Then you can go home."

He groaned. "My hands hurt." Nevertheless, he kept signing.

"Sir," Hawkeye asked tentatively. "Are you and Edward fighting?"

Roy smiled. "Ed knows where to draw the line. We came to an understanding."

She nodded. "He seems tense enough. I don't think he could handle arguing with you on top of everything else."

"I beg to differ, Hawkeye. Edward is quite capable."

"I _know_ that sir."

Mustang replaced his pen, and straightened his papers. "I'll be leaving now," he told her, standing.

"Alright. Good night sir."

"Good night Hawkeye."

… **MCR rocks my socks.**


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: My mom is making sweet potato pie. If I owned FMA, we would not be eating it. We would be having katsu in Japan._

Chapter 4

The dorms were generally very boring. Nothing interesting really happened, partly because men and women were in separate quarters.

Ed was stretching when the phone rand. Al picked it up. "Elric speaking… No, this is Alphonse… Of course. Hold on."

Al held out the phone to Edward. "It's for you, Brother."

"This is Fullmetal," he drawled into the phone after taking it.

"Fullmetal? Good. You've been requested as an opponent for an alchemy battle."

"For the alchemy test?"

"Yes!" The voice on the other end sounded delighted that Ed knew what he was talking about. "Are you interesting in fighting the Night Alchemist?"

"Very."

"Good, good. It's settled then."

The blonde grinned. "Alright. When's the fight?"

"On the third."

"Of next month?" He blinked.

"Yes, Fullmetal, the third of October. Is that alright?"

Ed sighed. "That's… as a matter of fact, it's perfect."

"Thank you Fullmetal." The person hung up the phone. Al smiled at him.

"So when's the fight."

The shorter brother scratched his head as he put the phone on the hook. "Next week—October third."

Al stopped dead. "Don't forget."

"I can't lose."

"Good luck, Brother."

X—X—X

"Fullmetal can I have a word?"

"No."

"But Full—"

"I' won't say anything unless you say 'please'," Ed replied curtly. He glared at Mustang, he really wasn't in a talking mood.

Roy sighed heavily, and rolled his eyes. "Please, Fullmetal."

"Anything." Ed continued walking.

Mustang steamed in his spot.

X—X—X

_October 2_, the calendar read. Mustang winced. Ed had evaded every attempt to talk to him. This generally pissed the older man off. '_I have to talk to him_.'

X—X—X

"He's _so_ annoying," Ed informed Al. Everything he'd turned up that could have been Adrian's power had been met with resistance and an amused glance. Meaning he'd been wrong. This generally pissed Edward off.

"Who, Brother," Al was attempting to help.

"Mustang," he cried. "He keeps bothering me while I'm working!"

"Why?"

Edward grumbled the answer. "Said he wants to talk to me."

Al rolled his eyes. Typical Edward. "Maybe he has something useful to tell you."

"Whatever," Ed grunted, turning a page.

X—X—X

"Those did't have the right to be called potatoes," Ed muttered as he walked down the corridor, intending to go back to his studies. All the other food from the mess hall had tasted fine today. Maybe a little chewy, but not bad overall. But those potatoes… they'd tasted like crap.

Suddenly he was pulled into a room to his left. "What?" The door slammed shut, and he didn't have time to think as he was pushed against a wall. '_Office,_' he noted. Looking up he realized what was odd about the whole situation. "Roy," the blond gasped, feeling generally confused. "What are you—"

"Hush," the man commanded, and for once Ed listened. "Look, Edward. It's going to be tough fighting my sister. I guarantee that you _will_ either over or underestimate her, most likely the latter. Are you listening?"

Ed nodded, too shocked to really say much.

"Good. Then I'll keep going. You're thinking she's named after a particular skill—but she's not. Adrian does not have one area of specialty—she's a lot like you that way." Roy sighed, releasing his hold on the blonde. "That's all I can tell you for now."

"Why are you telling me?" Ed looked up at his superior, unaware of the blush that dusted his cheeks.

Roy smiled. "Because I want you to win."

Gold eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You're betting with someone aren't you?" Ed frowned when Mustang shook his head. "No? Then why? Why would you want _me_ to win over your sister?"

"To prove something." The brigadier general slipped out of the room, and Ed followed at his heels.

"What would that be?"

The response was only a smirk. "If you win, you'll probably find out."

He sighed. "She has an advantage over me, doesn't she?"

"Quite." He spoke the word flatly. "She reads fast. Went through most of the files involving you, you know."

"What does that mean for me?" Edward's braid whipped around as he turned to look at the taller man who he walked next to.

"It means she won't underestimate you. She knows a lot of your typical tactics, but she doesn't know information about how you actually fight." Mustang didn't look, just focused straight ahead as he walked.

"Does she know that I can do alchemy without circles?" Ed sounded nervous.

"No doubt she's hear rumors. She _was_ gathering information after all. But I doubt she'll know if it's true or not." Mustang couldn't keep looking ahead. He finally paused, to glance at Ed. "Why?"

"Well, if she doesn't know…" The blonde grinned. "I can _make_ an advantage." _That grin._ The one that was on his face whenever he was planning something good. "I need to go buy supplies."

Roy hesitated, then held Ed's face for a moment. He leaned down, placing a small kiss against Ed's forehead. "Good luck."

They both stared at each other for a moment, and then took that as their key to turn and walk in the opposite direction. Ed glanced back, but was disappointed to see Mustang continued to walk. And just as he turned his head back around, Roy moved slightly to see if the younger man was looking.

X—X—X

She traced the circles from one book onto the blank paper. The fight depended on her ability to memorize them and draw them fast. Or she'd never win, she knew it. Adrian knew that Edward would know roughly about how she fought by now. She doubted that Roy would be able to keep it to himself.

A small knock on the frame of the library door made her jump in surprise. When she looked up, Fuery was standing there holding flowers with a small smile. "These are for you, Miss Mustang."

She stood up, setting her chalk on the table. "Are they from Brother?"

Fuery's smile grew into a grin. "No. Read the card."

Adrian took the flowers, fresh tiger lilies, and flipped open the card.

_If you don't die, would you consider a date? Good luck against Little Boss._

_Jean Havoc._

She laughed. "He really knows how to be romantic doesn't he?"

Fuery couldn't help but laugh at that as well. "Havoc is a real ladies man, if they meet him before your brother."

The younger Mustang thanked him for the delivery, and when he left she returned to her circles. '_Romantic…_' she thought with a grin. Her hand moved in a quick movement, effectively getting the circle she'd just been looking at onto the paper without looking. '_I might just take him up on that offer…_'

… **Give or take two more chapters! OMG. Am I actually going to finish a fanfiction???**


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own FMA. As a matter of fact, from this point on I don't even have a script. I'm making this up as I go. I own Adrian._

Chapter 5

Ed was nervous. He was confident he could win… but he was still nervous. He stood amidst what looked like a battle dome. Across from him stood Adrian with an equally confident grin. Seated comfortably above them were high ranking members of the military. Somewhere among them were the fuhrer, and Roy Mustang to watch the two fight.

Roy was up there. That made Ed a little nervous—the whole thing with the kiss had made him happy, but he was still confused.

Adrian was nervous. She really didn't know if she could win this one, but she hoped she would. Still it was not about winning. In reality the test was just a method to show off their skills. She doubted Ed would take it that way. She never had.

Havoc was not going to witness the whole thing. This gave her a bit of a sense of relief.

Roy was nervous. The two people he cared most about were down there, and about to battle. How could he _not_ be nervous?

"Move forward," a voice from above commanded. "Shake hands." Roy watched them both sigh, and step forwards. Ed stuck out his left hand to her, and said something so softly that Roy couldn't hear it from where he sat. Adrian's reply was a smile, and a nod.

"You too," he clearly heard, and Roy sighed with relief. Ed _must_ have said something like "good luck". Then again, that didn't seem like a very Ed-like thing to do.

The voice sounded again over them. "Alright, back to your places. And you may begin… _Now._"

Roy watched in amazement. Both Fullmetal and Night moved as one to get chalk out of their pockets. Each was oblivious to the actions of their opponent, because they were taking the time to draw out transmutation circles. Some of the officers around him murmured their confusion. Roy couldn't help but agree—he knew better than anyone that neither alchemist needed to take this much time.

Ed looked up briefly from his circle, expecting to see Adrian staring at him in shock. The joke was on him, it seemed, because Adrian was happily doing exactly the same thing. He gritted his teeth, and put his hand to his automail arm to form the blade. "Is that all you are, Night?" He scrambled to his feet, then started forwards. "I expected _better_ than that."

Adrian grinned. It was exactly what she wanted.

Roy leaned forwards in his seat. '_No Ed,'_ he thought, wondering why he even bothered. '_No, you're going to fall right into her trap._'

She moved so fast with the chalk that Ed couldn't even see the circle after she'd touched the glove. Suddenly, it all made sense to the teenager. Her gloves were black, because she needed to see the white lines of the chalk. They were fingerless, because she needed to get a good grip on the chalk. And there was an empty circle drawn on the back for impromptu transmutations. But his train of thought did not get much father than that. His world was engulfed in black, and his head spun. What was going on? Where did everything go?

He heard three consecutive _clap… slam_-ing noises, and in the dark, three small balls of light appeared before him. Their brightness made him squint, protecting sensitive gold eyes in the black abyss.

"Edward Elric. An angry soldier fights blind. Hasn't anyone ever taught you that?"

Seated safely above them, Roy's heart was pounding. '_I taught you that Edward. Snap out of her illusion!_'

Adrian's voice echoed through the darkness, nearly unnerving Ed. The lights remained, flickering in and out of focus. They showed him glimpses of her—around him, near him. But she seemed to move so quickly. How could he know which one was _really_ her, and which was part of her trick?

The words still echoed. Someone else had told him that… It was Roy. _Roy Mustang_ had told him that in their alchemy battle. What else had he said? '_"A soldier who strikes fast, strikes first." _' Well, Adrian pretty much had that one all wrapped up. Anything else..? '_"A soldier should keep deception in arsenal." _' She'd done that too, but then—so had he.

Ed clapped his hands together and slammed them to the ground.

"So it's true," he heard the woman ask in surprise as her illusion fall apart. "You really can do transmutation without circles!" It seemed that as she spoke, she lost control of her fast falling illusion. When he was able to see her again, she was getting to her feet across the room.

"What is this really about?" He couldn't help but ask. "You wanted to know about my skill?"

"Hardly, Edward," she replied with a grin. "This is a test for two… but neither is for you."

"Then who—"

"Can't tell," she said cheerfully.

Roy furrowed his eyebrows. What was she planning? A test for two. One was herself, obviously enough, but who was the second?

But the real battle had already begun between them. Ed was shocked by Adrian's reflexes, and she was surprised by his skill. They'd underestimated each other, contrary to Roy's statement that she wouldn't do that.

The blonde lunged forwards with his blade, and she jumped back with ease. But by no means was she graceful. On the contrary—Ed found that when she fought she often stumbled or tripped. But that damn grin never left her face. Was that how people felt when they fought with him? It explained a lot—he sure wanted to punch _her_ hard in the face.

They closed in on each other, circling the way wild animals did when they fought. Ed was banged up and bruised from her hits, and Adrian had a rather nasty-looking black eye on the right, and several cuts from his blade that had nicked her skin. The most obvious was a small cut just below her left eye.

The woman was currently holding a staff she'd pulled from the ground, similar to the one that Ed had made long ago—but the style was far different. She and Edward struck at the same time, and the staff held up against his arm. "You're very good," she complimented.

"Thanks. I wish I could say the same for you." He pushed forward harder, only to find her laughing under her breath. A feat which did impress him, considering how hard both of them were breathing from the battle.

"Oh, I got _burned_," she said in a tone of sarcasm. Adrian's grin grew dangerous at that. "Guess the metal is as hot as the flame that burns _him_."

The Mustang that sat above widened his eyes. '_What the hell does that girl thing she's doing?_'

"Nothing burns me," Ed growled.

"Something does boy. Whether you've taken the time to realize it or not. I see how you watch him."

"What is that supposed to mean?" She lashed forward, and he pushed his flesh hand up to block.

"You've got the brand of flame on you boy. You belong to him, but he's yours just as much."

Suddenly, Ed understood. "You're talking about—" he began, but his eyes flickered up. He didn't want Roy to get in trouble for anything.

She smiled. "Catch on quick, don't you?"

"Whatever." This time, Ed took his superior's words to heart, and made the quicker strike. He changed his automail back to normal, and slapped the ground. Adrian was sent flying backwards as the world flew up from beneath her.

"Aaah—"

And then everything stopped…

X—X—X

"Their fight is over," the Fuhrer noted.

Roy got to his feet. "Are they both alright?"

The man next to him smiled. "They'll be fine. We had to stop Fullmetal because he was so full of adrenaline. No telling what he might have done to Night—not saying anything against either, of course. Just regulation."

Someone else nodded, and laughed. "That was quite a good fight. So who's still a state alchemist?"

The Fuhrer smiled. "Both of them, of course. Now get them to the infirmary. Brigadier General, I'll leave you to tell them their results."

Mustang saluted. "Yes sir. Thank you." He ran out of the room to meet the soldiers pulling his sister and subordinate out of the little arena.

The first man whistled, looking at the wreckage. "Those two really did some damage."

"Nothing we can't fix," the second replied.

X—X—X

Voices.

He even recognized some.

The smell of smoke gave Ed the incentive to open his eyes. He groggily lifted his head, catching sight of Havoc. With a cigarette. Go figure.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to smoke in a hospital?" That was Roy.

"Yes."

"So why are you?"

Ed could hear the smile in Havoc's voice. "Because they're not dead."

A snort of laughter. Adrian was nearby.

He pushed himself into a sitting position. "What happened? Did I pass?"

All three of them looked at him, and Roy sighed in relief. "You're awake."

"Yeah. I'm awake. Did I pass?"

"One track mind, much?"

"Shut up Havoc," Edward said with an accompanying glare.

The elder Mustang rolled his eyes. "You passed, Ed. Both of you did."

The young blonde nodded, and settled back into the pillows. Making eye contact with Roy, he hesitantly asked his question. "Did… Did I prove what you wanted me to prove?"

Adrian answered for her brother. "You did Ed. You proved yourself very well. Thanks." She looked at her brother. "You know, I don't think he'll mind."

"Huh?"

Roy glared at the woman. "I hardly need you to tell me that.

"What?"

"Never mind Ed. Later."

Ed looked from the brother, over to the sister. "And what of the other test? Did you pass that?"

Adrian's fingers were laced together with Havoc's bigger hand. Quite sweet. "I'm alive," she pointed out.

And Havoc grinned. "She passed."

X—X—X

It was just Ed and Roy now. Adrian had been moved to another room shortly after Ed's awakening.

"You're all bruised up, Ed."

The teen squirmed. "I don't get it! I won, but she totally handed me my ass. How'd she get off so easy?"

Mustang frowned. "Edward, you broke one of her ribs."

"I _did_, didn't I?" He grinned, then sobered. "She was fast, but she was having trouble keeping up with me."

"Her teacher wasn't like yours. You've told me about Izumi." Roy slipped his gloves into his pocket. "She was even slower when she left, you know. She's gotten much faster."

Ed turned to glance out the window. "I wonder what happened to her," he said pensively. He felt he'd been in the infirmary too long—he wanted to get out, and he needed to get part of his arm fixed anyhow.

The older man nodded. "I'd like to know that myself." There was an awkward moment of silence, before Roy spoke again. "You did very well out there."

"You expected less of me?" Edward felt suddenly nervous, and he clenched a metal fist.

"No, no…" Mustang seemed to be fighting for words. "Just saying, that you held your own well. I didn't expect less, but I was still worried for both of you…"

Ed blinked in surprise. "You were worried about me?"

The black haired man grinned at him. "You expected less of me," he asked, repeating Ed's previous words.

"Shut up," Ed said sourly.

Roy smiled. "Sorry."

"No you're not," the blonde accused. He paused, then pushed on to a different topic. "So… what did that kiss mean?"

"What kiss?"

"You kissed my forehead. Any reason for that?"

Mustang sighed. "Well, at the moment it meant good luck."

"And now?"

"And now it would mean, 'I'd like to take you out to dinner some time'. How does that sound?"

Ed fought a laugh. "The womanizer is asking me out?"

Roy turned his head, so that Ed couldn't see the blush. "Yes."

"Alright, then."

He turned back at Edward, shock written all over his face. "You… You're agreeing?"

Ed smirked, this time. "Yes."

Roy leaned over, and kissed Ed's cheek once. "That's settled then. I… I guess I'll see you tomorrow." He pulled away, and walked out to the door.

Ed was pleased to see that Roy looked back at him once before scurrying away in embarrassment.

**Ah, sorry this chapter took so long. There's only one more chapter. Thanks to everyone who been reading. Much love from Sam.**


	7. Epilogue

_Disclaimer: I do not own… Roy. Or Ed. Oh, how depressing it is! But I do own Adrian…_

"Hold still, Ed," Mustang chided him. The blonde couldn't help squirming as someone else touched and braided his long hair. "It will come out all messy, and we'll have to sit through this again."

Ed sighed. "Not if you'd let me do it."

Roy smirked down at him. "That wouldn't be as loving of me." The older alchemist always found it amusing how Ed would always tell him no at first, but eventually complied with the ways of affection on his own. Two times, he had taken Edward back to his apartment and offered to share the bed. Both times, Edward had said he'd just sleep on the couch. And it always started out that way. But both times Roy had woken to find that a small figure had snuggled up to his side, fast asleep.

The blonde made some sort of undignified noise as the response.

"There," Mustang said, using a brand new hair twist to tie the braid at the bottom. "All done." Ed turned his head, criticizing Roy's work.

"Not bad, Colonel."

"Ed, you _know_ it's Brigadier General. _You're_ the one who's going to be the Colonel after today."

"Shut up."

"Yes Ed."

"Are… are the others going to be there?"

Roy looked into Ed's eyes, and saw the younger's nerves. "Yes, I do believe they are. Why?"

"Well, if it's just some stuffy officers, how am I going to face this?"

He laughed at the younger alchemist. "Then you just keep going. Most of them are push-overs, and you've got the charm to throttle them."

Ed still looked unsure, so Roy leaned over, and kissed him on the forehead. Don't worry about it." The blonde hesitated, then nodded, and stood up. Edward looked good, in the military uniform, as much as he hated to admit it. The very fact that he owned one made him nervous.

Being a dog of the military hadn't been so bad when he was allowed to roam free. But being kept on a leash, with a title…?

"C'mon Ed," Roy said, tugging on the blonde's hands. "It's time to go."

That first dinner had gone well, and they'd been together for a few months now. Edward, being the prodigy that he is, immediately received a position in the army as soon as they realized he was old enough to have such a thing. Roy, of course, had agreed to help him get ready for the ceremony. This included the fixing of the uniform, and his general appearance.

Because Edward had needed it.

"But I don't wanna go," he crooned, slumping against a wall.

Roy raised one eyebrow at him. Ed shrugged, then moved to follow as Roy motioned for him to leave the apartment. "Okay," Roy started. "If you trip on your way to get the star for your promotion, what do you do?" He opened the door to the car, holding it for Ed before moving to the driver's side himself.

Ed slumped down into his seat, making himself comfortable even as he answered. "Glare at you."

"Why's that?"

"You'll be laughing."

Roy smirked at that. "Alright Fullmetal. You win that one, but how about this: What if you're attacked by a mob of beautiful military women?"

"Oh. I know this. Don't glare at you."

Roy started the car, before grudgingly asking. "And why is _that_?"

Ed started to laugh. "Because you'll have such a pissed off look on your face and you won't even be able to do anything about them!"

The taller man didn't respond as he pulled the car out into the street. And Ed? Ed continued to laugh.

When they pulled up to the scene, Ed was surprised. It was a promotional dinner, and he wasn't the only one who was getting recognized, but he could see Mustang's team. All of them—and he certainly hadn't been expecting them to show up.

He gave a quick wave before Roy walked him over, and he grinned at all their bright faces. They were there for him!

"C'mon Ed. Let's get a seat before Breda discovers one of the militia dogs are in the room."

Ed looked at him. "Why would that affect anything?"

"You know how he gets around dogs. He'll be climbing up the ceiling before we know it, and if we sit by him now it won't be as embarrassing as sitting by him after he's realized this fact."

They took their seats, and Ed peered curiously across the table where Havoc sat. Seated next to him, looking more proper than he'd ever seen was Adrian. "Brother," she gushed. "You and your consort look lovely tonight!"

Havoc nudged her slightly. "You know that's not what they're being called. It's all a military secret."

Ed snickered, and Roy blushed. Underneath the table, Ed slipped his glove covered hand into Mustang's.

At the entrance to the room, the Furher began to talk. "Welcome all, tonight…"

Ed's golden eyes ran around the table once. Havoc seemed more interested in Mustang's sister, than anything else, and she was content with her head on his shoulder. The other members of the team watched the Furher intently—though Hawkeye did have a pleased look on her face over the two of them. And when he looked at Roy…

"You alright?"

"Never better," Ed whispered, squeezing his hand lightly.

And it was true.

It would seem that Alphonse had been right after all.

End.

**KitsuneSam: So… Yeah. Took me long enough but I finished a fanfiction. Hope you enjoyed it.**


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